


My Very Brightest Star

by Lumeleo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Draco Malfoy is a Good Parent, FtM Scorpius Malfoy, M/M, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:07:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21867238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumeleo/pseuds/Lumeleo
Summary: When young Cassiopeia wants to tell her father something, Draco does his best to be a better father than his own was. If that means he's going to have a son instead of a daughter, well, he'll have the most amazing son anyone could hope for.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Scorpius Malfoy, Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 30
Kudos: 333





	My Very Brightest Star

**Author's Note:**

> Because fuck TERFs.

“Father.”

Draco looked up from his book, meeting the serious eyes of his daughter. Cassiopeia was standing a few feet from him, staring at him as though expecting a fight. That was… troubling.

“Cassiopeia.” He marked his place and set the book aside, turning his attention to her. Whatever was making his little princess look so grave had to be serious. “Is something the matter?”

“I — I need to talk to you.” Cassiopeia’s hands were clenched into fists, her arms rigid at her sides. “About something important.”

“I see.” Draco nodded, then patted the couch next to him. “Will you come sit with me?”

Cassiopeia hesitated for a moment, then scampered up to the couch. Rather than lean against him as usual, though, she kept her distance. That was certainly concerning. “…Please don’t be angry.”

Draco blinked. Well, definitely serious. “I promise.” It was an easy promise to make. Cassiopeia was a lovely little child. Sure, she had her more spirited moments, but somehow Draco didn’t get the impression this was about knocking over an expensive vase or something similarly childish.

Cassiopeia drew a breath, then paused as though still trying to decide if she should speak. At last, she tried again. “I think I’m a boy.”

Draco paused. “Come again?” Perhaps he had misheard, or misunderstood somehow.

Cassiopeia’s shoulders drew up almost to her ears. However, she was most definitely a Malfoy, as she didn’t back away. “I’m a boy. I know I look like a girl, but that’s wrong.”

“I see.” There were a thousand thoughts rushing through Draco’s head, most of them questioning what had happened to his little princess. Perhaps someone had cursed her, or some of the less stable parts of their bloodline were showing up. However, she did not look mad or mistaken, just… nervous. Nervous and afraid and so very, very small. She wasn’t even looking at him.

Draco had long since sworn he was never going to become his father, substituting money for love and trying to shape his child into something she was not. He supposed his oath was being tested here.

“Can you tell me why you feel like this?” At least she glanced at him, however hesitantly. Draco was going to take that small victory. “I’m not sure I understand, but I’m listening. Please, help me understand.”

Cassiopeia paused, but finally started to speak again, her words slow at first but picking up speed. Draco listened to it all, the fragments of memories and feelings that she probably didn’t truly comprehend herself but was doing her best to express to him anyway. He might not have understood all of it, but he did understand that this was something she had been thinking about for a long time now. Thinking and agonizing over, no doubt, considering the way she still glanced at him on occasion as though to make sure he didn’t look angry.

At last the tide of words started to die down, and Cassiopeia stared at her hands resting in her lap. Draco hesitated, trying to decide on the best course of action. At last, he shifted closer to Cassiopeia, closing the distance between them.

“What do you want me to do?”

Cassiopeia looked up at him, and Draco was startled to realize there were tears in her eyes. “I… what do you mean?”

“Clearly you had a reason to speak to me about this. What do you need from me?” Draco pushed a strand of hair from her tear-streaked face. “Would you be more comfortable if your mother and I called you a boy? Try a different name, perhaps? I want to make you happy, but I don’t really know what to do.”

“Can — can I do that?” Her eyes widened. “Have a boy name?”

“Of course.” Draco nodded. “It’s just a name, and if it doesn’t feel right, we can always go back.” He sighed. “I don’t really know how to deal with this, but I can see that you’re unhappy with how things are now. So, we can try changing things until you feel better.”

Cassiopeia’s lower lip trembled, and the next moment she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around his neck in a crushing hug. “Thank you,” she murmured into his ear. “Thank you, thank you, thank you…”

“Anything for you.” Draco waited until she loosened her grip enough for him to look at her properly. “Have you spoken with your mother yet?”

Cassiopeia shook her head, because apparently things couldn’t be even a little bit easy. “I — I wanted to tell you first.”

“Well, thank you for trusting me with this. We can talk about how we’re going to tell her together.” Draco gave her a small smile. “Now, let’s wipe away those tears, okay? We need to think of a name that would suit you better and you can’t very well decide on a name that will make you happy if you are crying.”

Cassiopeia nodded, rubbing at her eyes. “Okay!”

“One more thing.” Draco set his hands on her shoulders, taking a moment to find the right words. “…Your life is yours. It’s up to you to decide what you want to make of it. Your mother and I will do our best to help you along the way, but that doesn’t mean you should try to be someone you aren’t for our sake.”

“Oh?” Cassiopeia blinked, then worried her lower lip. “…What if you hate me?”

“Oh, dear thing.” Draco shook his head. “I can’t imagine you could ever do or be anything that I would hate.” Certainly she could never be a worse person than Draco himself, not unless he utterly failed his job as a father.

“Even if I grow up to be a wizard and not a witch?”

“You are a Malfoy.” And while that name did not hold the same influence it once had, Draco still had some pride in it. “If you grow up to be a wizard, you will be the most amazing one the wizarding world has ever seen.”

Cassiopeia smiled brightly, and while Draco still had no idea what he was doing, he figured anything that made his child look like that was better than anything his own father had done.

(He joked about changing his mind a decade or so later when his darling son brought Potter’s younger son home as his boyfriend, but really, it was just further proof of how brilliant Scorpius was when even a Potter couldn’t resist him. Besides, apparently Albus Severus was making Scorpius happy, and Draco had long since decided to go along with anything that made his son happy. Even if that thing happened to be a Potter.

Knowing Scorpius and how stubborn he was, young Potter would eventually end up being a Malfoy, anyway.)


End file.
